1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved goggle for sports and other activities where eye protection and improved vision are desirable. More particularly it relates to a goggle which incorporates a system of high and low pressure areas external to the goggle to increase ventilation of the enclosed eye cavity to prevent fogging of the goggle lens. The disclosed device additionally features increased ventilation from side vents which communicate through a clip also used for strap attachment. This clip is rotationally engaged with the body of the goggle and allows for attachment of the head strap to the goggle on one side of the clip with the opposite side rotationally engaged to the body of the goggle. This rotational attachment may be by hinge, flexible flap in an extension, or other means of attachment to allow for the rear end of the clip to rotate away from the goggle body.
An aperture formed in the clip between the strap and body engagement creates the negative pressure adjacent to the side aperture of the goggle body. Further, engaging the clip to the goggle in a hinged or rotational attachment allows for rotation of the clip and aperture toward and away from the goggle. This provides for increased air flow over the aerodynamic surface of the leading edge of the clip and provides increased negative air pressure external to a side vent in the body when the goggle is being worn with or without a helmet. This rotational or hinged engagement is especially important when goggles are used in combination with protective helmets for skiing, motorcycling, auto racing, and other endeavors which require both eye protection and cranial protection.
Further, if the clip is removably attachable to the goggle body, it allows for a kit of such clips to be provided to users of the goggle. Such a kit can include clips with leading edges having shapes to maximize air speed over the trailing aperture in the clip for the sport or task at hand. Additionally, the kit of different shaped and dimensioned clips can include clips with differently sized apertures to thereby optimize the air drawn through the aperture in the clip from the adjacent side venting aperture communicating with the eye cavity. This would provide the user with the ability to change not only the shape of the clip to maximize air flow for the task at hand, but to also change the size of the clip aperture for the task. Skiers can thus adjust for optimum air speed of the airflow over the aperture and venting size of the aperture as can motorcyclists, parachutists, any users for an infinite number of sports and tasks that require wearing goggles but need to customize airflow for the task.
Using the variable shape of the clip and the variable aspects of the aperture in the clip, it is also anticipated that a non hinged engagement to the goggle body might be used since not every user would require such a function. Consequently in another preferred embodiment of the device, the clip would removably attach to the body using a means of attachment which secures it to the body to hold the strap, but does not necessarily rotate toward and away from the body itself. The user can then simply change the clip shape and/or aperture dimensions for optimum results for their intended task. Such an embodiment could also have the pair of clips attached to the head band with the user having a kit of assembled head bands with clips thereon adapted for attachment to the goggle body with each such assembled clip and headband having different clip apertures and/or exterior surface dimensions to maximize airflow over the clip aperture during the intended use.
2. Prior Art
Skiing, motorcycling, paintballing, field hockey, lacrosse, auto racing, and other sports which incorporate goggles for eye protection have become an ever more popular recreational pastime in the United States and throughout the world. It has also become fashionable for safety reasons for participants in such hazardous sports to wear both eye protection as well as head protection. Goggles are also especially a virtual requirement for the military in areas with blowing sand or during parachute jumps and similar operations and when employed, are generally used in combination with a protective helmet.
Since goggles are generally worn over the eyes of a user, it is most important that the eyesight of the user not be impaired by the goggles being worn and if possible, be improved by the goggles covering the eyes. In cold climates and in freezing venues such as ski slopes and high altitudes an inherent problem encountering goggle wearing individuals is that of fogging of the goggle lens.
Fogging is generally caused by the temperature differential created in the enclosed area formed behind the goggle lens and in front of the face of the wearer and the air exterior to the goggle. The face of the user radiates heat and tends to heat the air inside the goggle cavity behind the lens much like the windshield of a car tends to fog when the air inside the car is warmer than the air outside the car, thus causing fog or condensation on the window. Consequently, venting of the air inside the goggle cavity behind the lens is essential to help overcome and prevent fogging of the lens that would inhibit the view of the wearer. Various patents have attempted to overcome the inherent tendency of goggles to fog in a cold environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,564, (Tackles) teaches a vented goggle; however, Tackles requires a plurality of tunnels or slots be formed in the mask portion of the goggle which are easily plugged by snow and especially ice if the skier falls or by dirt in a blowing sand environment. Tackles also lacks a low pressure system to pull air from the face cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,652,965 (Crooks) teaches a non-fogging goggle, but Crooks also uses an elongated slot formed in the mask portion below the lens that is easily clogged and also lacks negative pressure venting.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,130 (Grabos) discloses goggle with a ventilation adjustment assembly having a plurality of apertures in the lens with a shutter to close them to adjust the flow of air. Grabos lacks a focused air flow on the apertures and any negative pressure to pull air from the cavity it creates.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,914 (Harris) teaches venting of a goggle like device. However, Harris lacks any positive pressure or negative pressure to aid in the flow.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,673 (Yamamoto) discloses ski goggles which have a heating means to heat the space between two lenses but lacks any pressurized low pressure evacuation of air from the internal cavity.
As such, there is a pressing need for a non-fogging goggle that will work in cold, dusty, and other harsh environments. Such a goggle should have air venting that is aided by exhaust vents having negative pressure which evacuate the goggle cavity behind the lens. Additionally such a goggle could increase air pressure entering the cavity yielding an increase in pressure differential with the exhaust cavity increasing air flow. Such a device would be further enhanced by the provision of filters to absorb moisture, prevent back flow of particulate into the goggle cavity, or regulate the amount of air moving through the device and allow for adjustment thereof. Finally such a device should provide for an angle adjustable engagement of the strap to the goggle for use with a helmet, or large and small head sizes, while concurrently providing an aerodynamic surface to increase airspeed to thereby increase negative pressure adjacent to the exhaust apertures.